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The Keto Diet for Women

Max Quigley

The Keto Diet, or Ketogenic Diet, can be undertaken by both men and women. This diet relies on a high intake of protein and fat such as meat, seafood, olive oil, eggs and small amounts of vegetables. Women can experience a number of health benefits with this diet including hormonal balance, weight loss and even an anti-aging effect. You should consult your doctor before undertaking this diet as it can be nutritionally restrictive. A multivitamin and mineral should be taken to supplement the Ketogenic Diet.

Ketogenic Diet

The Ketogenic Diet involves eating fats and proteins while eliminating virtually all carbohydrates. The only permitted carbohydrates are vegetables, such as leafy green salads, and overall your carbohydrate intake must be kept below 50 g per day. Once your body is deprived of carbohydrates, it goes into a state known as ketosis in which both dietary and excess body fat is converted into ketones in the liver and used to fuel your brain and muscles. This diet forces your body to fuel itself through fat, not sugar, and carries with it a number of health benefits for women.

Hormonal Benefits

The high-fat Ketogenic diet has many benefits. According to a study published by the National Institute of Health, women placed on a high fat diet had higher levels of estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone and testosterone than women placed on a low fat diet. These hormones are vital for female health. Estradiol regulates growth hormone for tissue and reproductive organs, dehydroepiandrosterone is important for reproductive health and memory and acts as an anti-depressant and testosterone helps to strengthen bones and muscles and improves sex drive.

Weight Loss

The Ketogenic Diet is a potent fat loss diet for women. Jonathan Desprospo of bodybuilding.com says that the main benefit of the Ketogenic diet is the ability to cause your body to use fats for fuel, helping you to lose fat rapidly. Because of the high protein intake, the Ketogenic Diet will have a muscle sparing effect on your body says Desprospo. This means that muscle mass, which is essential for keeping the metabolism working optimally, will be preserved. According to a study published by the "Journal of American Medical Association," women placed on the Atkins Diet, which is a low carbohydrate, high fat and protein diet, lost more weight than those placed on the Zone, Ornish or LEARN Diets.

Other Benefits

Being in a state of ketosis has other benefits for women. According to Michael Eades M.D., high protein diets have the effect of cleaning our cells. Over time, our cells become saturated with “junk” protein matter. Eades asserts that a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet reverses this and essential cleans the cells, causing an anti-aging effect on your body.